Last night, my husband and I attended a party. I engaged in a discussion with a guest I knew from years ago. Being an obstetrics nurse at a local hospital, she told me about a project she hoped to launch in our hometown.
Since she used to be a home-birthing advocate, I was eager to hear her plans. (Home-birthing is my idea of taking control of a family’s wellbeing from day one).
But within minutes, I grew uneasy.
She told me that with the aid of government grants (already a suspicious start), she intended to open a reproductive clinic in a public school in an under- privileged area of town. It would entice kids, during their study hall time, to be treated for pregnancies, to replenish their supply of French ticklers (excuse me, I couldn’t resist), drugs to suppress reproductive hormones and who knows what else.
Call me old fashioned, but is the intent of school to fabricate little consumers to purchase life-altering products that could affect their bodies, souls and legacies?
As she spoke, my husband was surreptitiously stroking my shoulder. He sensed a volcano in me about to erupt.
“So, we might call it The-Parents-Have- Nothing-To -Say -About -Their -Own-Offspring’s Future-‘Cause-Someone-Else-Knows-Better-Clinic ?” I offered.
“But this is for underprivileged kids, who don’t have the opportunity of making good choices,” she apologized.
My husband’s grasp grew tighter.
As a Sicilian American, I’m aware of prejudices my grandparents and parents endured less than a century ago. Someone might judge that they were disadvantaged and incapable of making proper decisions. In fact, this is often the flavor of discrimination.
I image my grandparents would have questioned the intention of a stranger who would lure their daughter to ingest questionable, synthetic hormones so as to keep her from having their grandchild. Particularly if the counselor condescendingly regarded Sicilian-Americans incapable of making good choices.
What might have made my grandparents particularly suspicious is that their “underprivileged” child might be influenced by someone whose grants depended on the number of kids enlisted in the program.
The ultimate question for anyone faced with these kinds of busy-bodies ought to be, why is it anyone’s business how many children a family has in the first place!?
My conversation with the nurse was making my militant bone grow stronger by the minute, and particularly flexed because the implication is that certain lineages (those who we deem don’t make decisions similar to ours) ought to be curtailed.
I thought certain sentiments went without saying, but it became apparent that they needed to be expressed. So, while we were serving the cake, I did just that.
I told her that a decision to consider limiting the lineage of a particular family via birth control pills, morning-after drugs and other such “services” is exclusively the jurisdiction of the unconditional love of a parent. And that any rational parent would protect their youngster from such shenanigans.
Additionally, such an assessment ought not be under the influence of a psycho-babbling counselor who is paid to recruit young innocents.
Well, I didn’t say it exactly like that. I was more polite.
I held back while my gut festered and my thoughts turned to….. Since when are the reproductive organs of another woman’s child up for grabs?
You might accuse me of not being very progressive, but her thinking seemed arrogant and disruptive of family life, hence immoral.
Indeed, I was raised to believe that children are a blessing and that their unique characteristics are from the family’s roots and that’s why it’s solely the family’s responsibility to protect and nurture them.
Now, it’s the day after the party and in a way, I regret having said this to the nurse, whose day job is to help bring babies into the world in an upscale hospital.
After all, we were at a party.
On second thought, I couldn’t harbor my impulses.
It seems that my pro-family, anti-meds, parent-decisive, keep-your-hands-off -my-kids, Sicilian-American ancestry inadvertently expressed itself.
Some bloodlines haven’t yet been suppressed.
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If you feel as passionately as I do about taking charge of your family's health, I encourage you to explore my website for many, many free articles about using homeopathy at home. Or contact my office to schedule a consultation to discuss how homeopathy could fit with your family's health strategy. It's also free!
Despite what you may believe, eating well doesn't have to mean a huge grocery bill. Here are some tricks I've employed over the years that helped me save money while ensuring that my children grew into strong, healthy men.
I found that one of the best ways to raise a family is to teach the importance of knowing how to find and prepare quality meals. These are some of the routines and practices that have helped me to raise three healthy boys while leading a busy life as a homeopath, writer and educator.
What has helped you save money while nourishing your family?
Last weekend, I had the privilege to speak at the regional conference of the Weston A. Price Foundation. For those of you who weren’t able to attend, I wanted to share some photos from the day.
I spoke about how to treat fever the homeopathic way. No drugs and your children will be healthier for it. To get up to speed on the topic, check out my past blog post on fever.
I need all the help I can get from my family to help me get ready for these events. That's my son, Giuseppe, helping me set up and my father is overseeing the progress.
More than two hundred people attended this wonderful weekend of workshops geared toward helping families take charge of their health through nutrition and natural healing.
I always enjoy the opportunity to talk to people about what homeopathy can do for them. Our HomeopathyWorks booth allowed me to do just that.
Of course, one of the highlights of the conference was being on a plenary panel with the highly regarded Sally Fallon Morel, who wrote one of my favorite cookbooks about nutritious food, Nourishing Traditions.
Another exciting announcement: we have a new website!
From now on when you enter www.homeopathyworks.net into your browser, you will be redirected to our new-and-improved site, JoetteCalabrese.com.
We now have a great search function where you can search all of my articles by keyword. Stay tuned for other new features that will be available soon, such as a whole section devoted to homeopathy research where you’ll be able to read articles about clinical trials and other new developments in the science of homeopathy.
Don’t forget to click on the link for our products page as well – very soon we will be selling remedy kits through the website!
Also very exciting is the new section “Shopping with Joette,” where you can support our community of like-minded vendors who supply us with the foods and products we use on a daily basis.
Have a look around and tell us what you think!
We would all avoid surgery if we could. Homeopathy, in fact, allows us to do so in many cases, but sometimes going under the knife is necessary.
Fortunately, the fact that homeopathy doesn’t interact with conventional drugs or medical treatments makes it the perfect companion to surgical procedures. Learn this simple surgical protocol, and you’ll be ready for the next time you or a loved one faces surgery.
You may not know that at the turn of the century, our country boasted many homeopathic hospitals where skilled surgeons knew the value of using homeopathy before and after operations. This type of medicine is still practiced in other countries such as England, Switzerland, Germany and India.
The following protocol has been shown to help the surgical patient by reducing the inherent shock from an operation, preventing infection, boosting the immune system, alleviating post-op pain, speeding recovery and even stabilizing the person’s emotional state.
Have these remedies on hand for surgery, which might include tooth extraction, organ removal or a simple mole excision.
The more severe the pain, the more frequent the administration and the higher the potency required.
That means that if you have any homeopathic education and experience, a higher potency can be used. If homeopathy is rather new in your life, then use potencies such as 30 or 200. For the sake of expediency, the remedies below are indicated in 200c. One dose is generally 4 pills, regardless of the size of the person taking the remedy.
1) Arnica montana 200c is given morning and night on the day before surgery, and then repeated the morning of and just before being wheeled into the operating room. Remember that the purpose of Arnica montana is to keep infection at bay, minimize the shock to the system, reduce swelling, minimize the possibility of hemorrhages and put the person at ease.
This should be repeated as soon as possible after surgery and administered every 2-3 hours as needed. Then it can be repeated as often as required to eliminate pain. If the pain is persistent, this indicates the need for more frequent repetition, perhaps every hour or two.
2) If pain is still a problem, Hypericum 200 is used as an alternate so that Arnica is administered say, every even hour and Hypericum every odd hour.
3) Sometimes other remedies are required, such as Staphysagria 200 for wound pain or site infection.
4) Nux vomica is generally used for nausea, constipation or diarrhea from the anesthetic.
5) Phosphorus also comes into use as a powerful remedy for headaches and difficulty withdrawing from the anesthetic.
After surgery, choose the issue that is the most trying and then the remedy that most closely matches the symptoms.
Don’t use more than one remedy at a time except in the case of extreme pain or if you are working with a homeopath. In some cases, the aid of a classical homeopath may still be needed to address the nuances and complications. However, you can do plenty to protect and get your loved one off to a good start.
With this elegant protocol, surgery takes on a whole new light…even becoming a compatible option.
And options are what we homeopaths and mothers like!
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________ The best way to be prepared for whatever emergencies come your family's way is to own a kit with the most frequently used homeopathic remedies. Kits are available by calling our office at (716) 941-1045. My free first-aid chart available to download here is your kit's perfect companion.
Oh, the flurry of excitement of back to school time!
Shiny, new school supplies and autumn clothes. Let’s take this opportunity to make a fresh start with our children’s meals as well.
I urge my students to reassess their dietary habits yearly, just like a corporation regularly evaluates its efficiency and productivity. I urge you to clean house and consider potential culprits that may be silently attacking your child’s health.
Too many refined carbohydrates are detrimental to good health and one of the worst offenders is gluten-laden foods.
I know, I know. Cakes, cookies, biscuits and such are attractive, tasty and inexpensive, but if your child can’t overcome certain health challenges, including emotional and/or intellectual ones, these might be likely to blame.
I often recommend that a child abstain from ALL gluten products for 60 days. I don’t mean fewer of these products, or smaller bites of them. I mean totally eliminate them from his diet.
Unfortunately, this means not only Cap’n Crunch has to go, but otherwise wholesome oats, wheat, spelt and rye must be eliminated as well. Instead, try delicious hot cereals such as teff or quinoa; they make a lovely breakfast along with eggs.
Substitute rice pasta for wheat/semolina. Tinkyada Brand is good source of many kinds of pasta.
As an Italian American, I can tell you that if you cook this pasta according to the directions, it tastes authentic.
After the 60 day fast, allow your child a gluten feast! For example, give him wheat toast for breakfast, a wheat bread sandwich for lunch, a bagel for a snack, and pasta for dinner.
Now watch his behavior, sleep, respiratory and gastrointestinal activity. Note his energy, his color, and his odor. Is there darkness under his eyes? Is he wiggly, itchy, too chilly or warm?
If you notice any of these changes after gluten has been reintroduced into his diet, then you will know that the child is sensitive to gluten and must be kept away from it. The same experiment can be done for any suspected food sensitivity such as pasteurized dairy products, sugar cane, corn syrup, dyes or preservative-laden foods, etc.
Here’s a powerful clue: the food that most often does the worst harm is the one that’s the most craved. Does your child cry or carry on when you tell him he must have eggs instead of toast? If so, then regard gluten a possible culprit.
Homeopathy has a history of resolving the problem. If gluten intolerance is part of the family history–something that his father and grandmother have– he’ll still be able, in large part, to overcome this tendency. It’s a matter of selecting the correct and deep-acting constitutional remedy that is person specific.
Interestingly, in my experience, I’ve observed a proclivity for gluten intolerance more often in Italian-Americans and Irish-Americans. I’ve also noted that many children don’t present this problem until they’ve been treated with antibiotics, vaccinations or the like.
If you’re working with a classical homeopath, every symptom, no matter how minute, is important to disclose; it will help your homeopath determine the constitutional remedy that will uproot the propensity for this problem in the first place.
After all, getting to the bottom of the problem is what homeopathy does best!
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Nutrition is fundamental to the work I do with homeopathy! Read more about how the correct remedy helped to bring Liz's diet into alignment here. Lots more articles and free information on homeopathyworks.net.
There are many homeopaths who don’t offer a glimpse into their lifestyles and choices.
I’m not one of them.
Instead, I share my beliefs and values on mothering, family traditions, living a natural lifestyle, and cooking nutrient-dense meals in whatever I write, in whatever I say, and in whatever I teach. This includes prayer. I do this because I genuinely believe that’s what it takes to find genuine health.
Daily, I meet with clients and students from all over the globe who have made poor choices, usually because the right choice was inconvenient. Today their health is suffering from those decisions. More effort is required to seek out health-promoting choices, but the reward is great.
This certainly doesn’t apply to everyone, but more and more, I see the ramifications of these poor choices especially in our Western society. Get our morality straight and health often follows. Tinker with Mother Nature and the mores and principles of our beliefs, and we will suffer.
That, in my estimation, is why Judeo-Christian traditions hold so much wisdom when it comes to genuine health.
I believe the world is hungry for time-honored values. And to me, silence in regards to this message is irresponsible.
I estimate that with this type of message, I will turn some readers off and lose them. Others will employ these ideas and pass them on. And some will simply read and do nothing.
For me, it’s a chance worth taking. I will do whatever I can to spread the truth of how to achieve genuine health.
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Interested in hearing more about my homeopathic journey and philosophy? Check out my story on my website homeopathyworks.net.
http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2011/09/are-you-going-to-get-a-flu-shot/
There was a time when we did as we were told. We listened to our parents, teachers, and authority in all its faces and adhered to the rules of the day. As youngsters it was an appropriate and accepted way of conduct.
Today, much of what we were taught has been turned upside down. The voice of today’s society rings of topsy-turvy counsel. Instead of work first and play later, our world entreats us to play first.
Instead of buying a home that we can afford, we’re encouraged to borrow beyond our means. Instead of firm discipline in the home, we’re directed by faddish psycho-babble to give our kids “space” and privacy.
I say it’s time to turn back the clock…or perhaps swing it forward. Whatever the direction, it’s time we take back control of our lives and use common horse sense.
For example, does it make sense to get a flu shot that may be made from the wrong strain?
This is a frequent occurrence. Since the epidemiologists do not know which strain is forthcoming each flu season, they make a soup of the latest microorganisms. Then it’s injected directly into the bloodstream.
Interestingly, many who are vaccinated get the flu anyway—either in spite of or perhaps because of the vaccine itself.
And, what about the connection between the flu shot and muscle pain? It has been clinically noted that when healthy patients yield to flu shots in autumn, they succumb to fibromyalgia by winter or spring.
Fibromyalgia is one of the symptoms of the flu!
Remember the achy joints and bones that come with the flu? That’s fibromyalgia. The short-lived achiness that accompanies the flu becomes a full-fledged chronic condition when the immune system is tampered with as it is with a vaccine.
Indeed, I think we’ve lost perspective.
Why not simply take a gentle homeopathic remedy that works better and more delicately and politely on the system?
Consider Oscillococcinum (pronounced: oh-sill-oh-cock-sign-um). It happens to be the #1 over-the-counter and prescription medication in France—a place where homeopathy is highly regarded by the medical profession as well as by lay people.
But the reason for its popularity is simple–it works.
Oscillococcinum is made from the heart and liver of a waterfowl, and is particularly useful for the onset of colds and flu that come on in the wet season, such as in fall or spring.
If taken at the onset of a cold, it will usually stop it dead in its tracks.
But here is the best part: if taken as a prophylactic, say, once per week for four weeks and then once each month until the flu season is over, it will usually protect you and your family from the flu.
If indeed the person still gets a cold or flu after taking this remedy, it will often ensure a much milder episode.
This is rational medicine.
No drugs.
No side effects.
No questionable ingredients.
Do you need another reason to take this remedy?
How about a cost of less than $19?
I certainly wouldn’t want to dictate what you ought to do for the upcoming season.
That would put me in the same category as proselytizing drug manufacturers. However, this little lesson may just convince the staunchest advocates of modern medicine of the power of homeopathy.
Consider each and decide for yourself.
Drugs or homeopathy?
For my clients, family and me, the decision is straightforward– homeopathy for gentler, more capable results.
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For more info on how to be prepared to handle the flu with homeopathy and common sense check out the free download Ahh Choo!! The Flu on my website homeopathyworks.net.
I designed it especially to provide a framework to guide you through your remedy choices. It is perfect for busy mothers and others who love curing their families themselves.
Deal with the flu without drugs and expensive commercial products.
The easiest, safest and most inexpensive way to treat your whole family.
Learn to choose the correct homeopathic remedy to give on the way to the emergency room or better yet,
avoid the trip altogether.
Homeopathy is inexpensive, non-invasive and profoundly curative.
Boost and maintain optimum health with simple foods, instead of vitamin pills.
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| Joette is not a physician and the relationship between Joette and her clients is not of prescriber and patient, but as educator and client. It is fully the client's choice whether or not to take advantage of the information Joette presents. Homeopathy doesn't "treat" an illness; it addresses the entire person as a matter of wholeness that is an educational process, not a medical one. In order to be treated or diagnosed, Joette believes that the advice of a holistic physician is in order. Disclaimer: Claims based on traditional homeopathic practice, not accepted medical evidence. Not FDA evaluated. 2009-2023 © Joette Calabrese – Practical Homeopathy® - HomeopathyWorks® - Health and Wellness
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